Buff orp death

[crooked stripe]

I have 4 buff orps, 2 black australorps all 10 months old. A BO went broody here 4 months ago and hatched out 6 eggs. I found her dead tonight in the coop when closing up. She was still warm and it looked like she fell off the roost. I gave her a good inspection and found nothing out of the ordinary. Good skin color, no mites, not egg bound and no fighting. I opened her up and found nothing unusual. If I would have butchered her for eating we would have cooked and ate her. The only thing I noticed is that the comb and wattles where pale. I only have 1 hen laying now that winter has set in. She was free ranging as usual today with no ill signs. I am now worried about the rest of them. What in the heck could have happened. She was eating and drinking as good as the others. I spend a lot of time with them and noticed no strange behavior.

 

[beakkeeper]

It sounds like a heart attack--sudden, silent, pale comb, etc. Very sorry!

 

[speckledhen]

As hard as it is to not know what happened, sometimes they do have heart attacks or pass on from something we have no control over. Could be she was weakened from her broody spell, perhaps went into her molt, then it was just too much for her system.

 

[Laskaland]

Quote:
Could she have gotten overly chilled? Sometimes it takes several days for a chicken to react to weather that is too cold. Just a thought. So sorry for your loss

Christina

 

[crooked stripe]

I looked into my Chicken Health Handbook and there are so many things I have no idea where to start. I hate the thought of them all dieing and not knowing why. Then the question, where and how to start again with not solving the unknown problem. No avian vet within 100 miles. I have one with a split beak and took her to a vet some what close and they referred me to Columbus. The money is just not here to justify spending a lot of money on a chicken. Please don't take this wrong. John

 

[speckledhen]

John, I cant take a chicken to a vet and most regular vets know nothing about them, but they're willing to fumble around in the dark and charge you anyway. If no more seem ill or die, then I'd say it was an isolated death.

 

[crooked stripe]

Thank you all for the replies and caring. To everyone here on BYC have a Merry Christmas. John

 

[speckledhen]

Same to you, John.

 

[beautifulbirds]

Hi John, so sorry for your loss. As a precautionary measure you could get some molasses, pour a goodly dollop into a bowl and add another dollop of honey and then pour boiling water on top of that. Mix up and allow to cool to room temperature. Meantime take 10 cloves of garlic, steep in boiling water, when cool (room temperature) pour off liquid into the same dish as molasses & honey, mix up and put down with their feed. Those that are poorly will drink the garlic/honey/molasses juice. If you could do this every day for about ten days it will do them no harm at all and you may stave off any possible flock infections that they could be happily sharing with each other. Just a thought, hope it helps.
Merry Christmas and HAppy New Year.
BB.